A Different Kind of Love
by Manaxsavior
Summary: Transcending time, Karin returns to the place she secretly prayed for after the final battle at the Asuka Platform only to meet Yuri’s father. See how their love began and how it ended.


Title: A Different Kind of Love

Chapter One: Promise

Transcending time, Karen returns to the place she secretly prayed for after the final battle at the Asuka Platform only to meet Yuri's father. See how their love began and how it ended.

Here's my take on the ending. Originally, I was gonna make it straight to the end…but…you'll see. Here's to my first Shadow Hearts Story...Wait a sec, this is the rare KarinxJinpachiro on FF!? SWEET! Although...the first chapter is Yurin...hm

* * *

The world was shattering around them as time began to warp. Jagged rocks sprang up from the stone ground, inching closer and closer to where the eight travelers stood.

Their journey had ended with this final battle against the gods. The churning grey skies flashed with lightning and thunder boomed around them. Soon, it would be time to say goodbye.

First ones to go were the wrestling vampire and the old puppeteer. Joachim simply sent his friends a confident nod. Gepetto simply smiled knowingly at the dark haired fighter and auburn haired swordswoman before both of them disappeared into particles of light.

Next were the dancing fortune teller and white King of Wolves. Lucia had that happy-go-lucky grin as she waved goodbye, as if saying they would meet up for lunch another day. The anti-hero had to mentally laugh at this (Remembering the times she would drag them all around the world to eat at random cafes). Then he looked at hiswhite wolf companion who sent him a wolfish grin and twitched his ears.

Then, it was the samurai and Russian princess. As they rose, they were in each other's embrace. Anastasia snuggled closer to her 'fiancé', both of them smiling down at the last two before disappearing as well.

Only two left. The swordswoman turned her gaze to the fighter and saw the smile on his lips as he watched his friends vanish in front of him. It was painfully beautiful. Her mind raced back to the time she first met him. It was back in Domremy if she recalled. As they began to take the church a winged angel shattered the large stained glass window behind her. As she turned, it looked as if the dark wings on the gods back could engulf her in its darkness. There was no way she wouldn't be scared. But there was no way she wouldn't be lost in his gaze. His crimson eyes that held such a hot blaze in them, and yet a deep sadness completely caught her off guard. He was so beautiful that she could cry.

A light flashed, starting from his chest. A rueful smile appeared in Yuri's face as he turned towards Karin. "It's the mistletoe's curse." His gloved hand hovered over his chest and he closed his eyes. "I knew I was living on borrowed time."

Karin's eyes softened. Hearing those words, those _painful_ words coming from his lips… She felt her voice failing her. All she could do was choke out. "Are you scared?"

"No." His crimson eyes narrowed in thought before he shook his head.

"Will…you lose your memories too?"

"Never," Yuri spoke, confidence in his voice. Usually, it would bring her spirits up. But as he said this he avoided her gaze. It brought a heaviness to her chest. This mysterious foreboding could only mean…

She whispered his name, silently pleading with him not to. Instead, he finally looked her straight in the eyes. "Don't look at me like that." He attempted to reassure her with a smile, "I'll see you soon."

"Please promise me!" she begged, "I don't… I don't want to lose you forever…"

He said one word. His soft velvety voice soothed her, even though it caused her steel grey eyes to water. Karin knew he was never really good with words. Everything he tried to convey was in his voice. When he was hurt. When he was excited. When he was lonely…

Her body shone as she was finally ready to depart for the new world. A cold breeze suddenly lifted her up off the ground. On instinct, her hand reached for his arm as a way to anchor her back down, back to him. Deep down, she knew he would never reach back for her. Not when his heart still belonged to Alice.

But still, she stubbornly held onto the hope that he would. Hoping that somehow, _somewhere_, she had a place in his heart.

'_I guess that's the kind of woman I am,'_ she thought, mentally scolding herself for harboring such foolish ideas.

Suddenly a hand grabbed her own in a firm grip and her eyes widened. Yuri's crimson eyes, the ones she loved so much, searched hers. Maybe it was her imagination, but as he held her his eyes held an emotion akin to desperation.

Like a lost child clinging to his mother

"Karin!"

She smiled softly. "What?"

Immediately, his eyes began to water and her heart seemed to skip a beat. Had he…?

"I…" he struggled once again with what he wanted to say. But Karin knew her time was short. So with everything she had, she tugged on his arm to pull into him and crashed her lips onto his.

It didn't matter if he still loved Alice

It didn't matter if she would be nothing more than a friend in his eyes

It didn't matter if this would be the last time they should meet

All she cared about was this single moment in time that would vanish any second now.

Karin pulled away, still smiling as she did so. Actually, she had to laugh at the downright adorably astonished look on her companion's face. So she couldn't help but crack one last joke for him to look back on.

"And you better remember that."

Snapping out of it, the wide sheepish grin returned to him as he watched her disappear once more. "Thank you."

With a loving nod, her body burst into particles of light, falling onto him like stardust. His gloved hand, still warm from hers, caught a few specks of light from her as he watched it disappear as well.

"Sorry…" he whispered to the wind as the jagged rocks inched closer. The final grains of sand in the hourglass began to fall.

"I can't keep that promise…"

* * *

All she saw was white

"_Sorry,"_

Floating alone, Karin found herself between the rifts of time. She cursed her hesitation once more.

At first, she had no idea where she would go. Maybe if she went back to Munich… No—there was nothing left for her there.

Then she remembered. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her treasure. It was the only picture she had of her Yuri. Her heart ached.

"_I can't keep that promise…"_

She knew begging him would never work. Yuri would have chosen death over living a life without memories. Even if they were painful, they still made him into who he was.

Yes, into the man she met

The man she fell in love with

Was Alice any different?

"I want to be with him…" she murmured, clutching the fragile paper to her chest. Tears began to fall without her permission but she cried silently anyway. "I want to protect him…"

And everything went blank.

* * *

_1887 – The capital_

The door slammed shut as Jinpachiro briskly walked out. His head held a massive migraine. He just wanted to get back to his masters home for a nice hot cup of tea. As he turned the corner, he heard a quiet moan from the trees. His head turned towards the sound, a woman on the floor. She appeared to be unconscious but he approached her cautiously. You never know when it could be a monster in disguise.

But somehow, the fusion souls within him stirred. Not in a bad way. More…welcoming. Almost greeting an acquaintance they had not seen in a long time. Jinpachiro lightly turned the body to see her face clearly. Maybe he could tell who it was by looking.

Her eyes remained closed peacefully, as if dreaming. Long auburn tresses draped in front of her and he had to resist the urge to move them away to watch her sleep once more. Her hand dropped as he looked at the small object in her hand. It was a piece of paper. A photo to be more exact. Throwing caution to the wind, Jinpachiro picked it up and studied the picture. It was of three people. A male, female, and little boy. Flipping it over, the words read:

_1893. Jinpachiro, Anne, and three-year-old Yuri._

His eyes widened in mute shock as he turned back to the woman suspiciously. She let out a moan in reply as she began to come to. Her eyes, which he presumed to be grey, slowly adjusted to the evening light and she stared at him weakly. Jinpachiro had to admit. She was beautiful, albeit exhausted. There were wounds on her body. None too serious but would keep her smarting for quite a while. The woman feebly reached for the precious photo in her hands but passed out once again.

_One journey ends_

_Another one begins_

* * *

A/N: The part where Karin goes, "And you better remember that!" comes from the scene where Yuri and Karin have a fluff scene at the park in Japan.

Now…I had no idea I was going to do this. I just started to write out of nowhere. Wah… Okay, so I beat the game again for god know how many times and I thought, "Hm…so how did Karin fall for Yuri's dad?" Thusly, ideas came. Then, I watched cutscenes again, filling myself up with fluff. So…yeah. Shall I continue? Probably in my free time, huh


End file.
